A federal judge in Iowa ruled on Sunday that the state can proceed with its efforts to challenge the validity of hundreds of ballots from potential noncitizens. The ruling comes after a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of the League of Latin American Citizens of Iowa and four recently naturalized citizens.
The state's Republican attorney general and secretary of state argued that investigating and potentially removing 2,000 names would prevent illegal voting by noncitizens. This move is part of a broader effort by GOP officials across the U.S. to address possible voting by noncitizen immigrants, despite its rarity.
In his ruling, the judge cited recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions that allowed similar purges of voter registration rolls in other states. He emphasized that the state's effort does not remove anyone from the voter rolls but requires some voters to use provisional ballots.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, a Republican, praised the ruling as a victory for election integrity, stating that the state will enforce the law to prevent illegal voting by noncitizens.
The ACLU, which brought the lawsuit against the state, did not immediately comment on the ruling. The organization argued that most of the people on the state's list of potential noncitizens are eligible to vote and should not have been included.
Secretary of State Paul Pate issued a directive just two weeks before the election, instructing county elections officials to challenge ballots from potential noncitizens and have them cast provisional ballots instead. The judge noted that Pate had modified some of his original positions during the court hearing.
While federal law already prohibits noncitizens from voting, the issue of potential noncitizen voters has sparked a legal battle in Iowa. The ruling in Iowa's case comes after a federal judge halted a similar program in Alabama, where a significant number of legally registered citizens were mistakenly made inactive.
Despite the ongoing legal challenges, both Democrats and Republicans continue to be engaged in legal disputes over election-related matters. Immigrants seeking citizenship must go through a naturalization process, which includes various requirements such as establishing residency and demonstrating knowledge of American history.
